This application relates to electronic rangefinders, and in particular to a user-worn rangefinder.
Electronic rangefinders are used to calculate a distance between a reference location (usually the user's location) and a target. Conventional electronic rangefinders are typically portable electronic devices and generally resemble a pair of binoculars, a monocular or a camera that is held in the hands of the user.
Hunters and outdoor sports aficionados use range finders for different purposes. Hunters use range finders to determine the distance to their quarry so that they can adjust their aim for the calculated distance. Some golfers use rangefinders to determine the distance to the desired location where they would like to have their shots land.
Bow hunters and archers also use range finders. Because an arrow travels at a fairly slow speed and thus drops quickly, knowing the distance to the target greatly improves the bow hunter's chances of selecting the correct point of aim before releasing the arrow. Accurate shots are important to hunting success and clean kills. Bow hunters are typically in fairly close range to their targets before they take a shot, and thus their movements can easily reveal their location and spook the game. If the first arrow misses the target, there is rarely an opportunity to shoot a second arrow.
The ability to judge range accurately is difficult, so many bow hunters make use of range finders. Conventional laser range finders project a laser beam toward the topic and calculate its distance from the user based on the time it takes for a portion of the laser light reflected from the target to be sensed by a reflection detector and circuit within the range finder.
Handling a conventional rangefinder that must be held in one hand or both hands to be aimed at the target while bow hunting is difficult. Besides the difficulty in handling a rangefinder while still keeping the bow close at hand, use of a conventional rangefinder also takes additional time.